Wagga pharmacists are urging residents to get their free flu shot with growing community transmission and only one week remaining in the NSW Free Vax imitative.

Terry White Chemmart pharmacist and owner Hani Fanous said there was greater need for residents to get their shots this year as previously protective measures such as masks, hand sanitiser and social distancing were largely non-existent.

"This makes it very easy to get the flu," Mr Fanous said.

Mr Fanous welcomed the government's announcement to extend free flu vaccination until Sunday July 17 and said this year's flu season had been particularly severe.

"At the start of the season we didn't have the vaccine or anything to cover ourselves," he explained. "Now it's very easy to spread."

Pharmacist Thomas Adamson from Southcity Pharmacy agreed the extension was a good idea amid increasing community cases.

"We can see the hospitals are a level playing field with COVID at the moment," Mr Adamson said.

"There's individuals who've got COVID and flu at the same time and it's clogging up our hospital system.

"If we can get as many people vaccinated against the flu the better. It reduces the strain on the hospital system and keeps us all healthier."

Mr Adamson also agreed that easing COVID restrictions meant flu had come back with a vengeance this year.

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"With COVID causing the borders to shut, we haven't seen any big increases in influenza in the last two years, so it was predicted at the start of this season that we were going to see a high jump in cases," he said.

"Mask use and hand hygiene that was very prominent over the last couple of years has dropped off and now transmission is very much in the community.

"It's great NSW residents have the ability to get a free flu shot. We've been waiting on that for a few years," he added.

Mr Adam said Wagga residents can book their free flu jab through the Southcity Pharmacy's website or Facebook page, or through the NSW FreeVax website.

Mr Fanous said bookings could also be made through the Terry White Chemmart website. He also said the pharmacy would accept walk-ins.

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